Dementia Matters

On January 11, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its much-anticipated coverage proposal for monoclonal antibody treatments that target amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the proposed policy, this class of drugs, which includes aducanumab, also known by the brand name Aduhelm, would be covered for people with Medicare only if they are enrolled in qualifying clinical trials. Dr. Jason Karlawish joins the podcast to discuss the recent proposal, share his reaction to the decision, and tell us how this coverage policy could impact the development of other Alzheimer’s disease treatments in the future. Guest: Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center, professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy, and neurology, University of Pennsylvania Episode Topics 1:48 What’s the difference between the FDA and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? 3:58 What is the purpose of sharing a proposal and allowing public comment after? Is it possibl